Fly
by starships fly
Summary: After the assassination of the fairy kingdom of Magnolia's king an adventure awaits a spunky blue-haired fairy who has only journeyed around her home and through books. With the help a mysterious new guard with an unknown past she will unlock unspeakable secrets in her kingdom and will learn that her wings can take her places that even her imagination could never fathom. Fairy AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I have been working on this for several weeks now and I finally have the first chapter done! It took me a really long time to do this because I've been focused on my other series, but it also gave me more time to put as much detail as I wanted in it so that's good. This Fairy AU was my very first fanfic idea and I hope you like reading it! Like I've said before, I'm not an incredible writer, I'm still just a kid, but the support that I've received is makes me feel so confident inside and you have my gratitude. (Extends arms out and grabs all the viewers in tight hug)**

 **Okay, now that I got all of my feels out, reviews are always appreciated and I love hearing opinions on stories, not to mention I write a ton when I get reviews because I want to get the next chapter out so I can hear more feedback. I also feel really guilty if I don't update for a long time.**

 **PLEASE ENJOY!**

I am not worthy of claiming that I own Fairy Tail of any of it's beautiful characters, Hiro Mashima holds that great honor.

* * *

Levy was quite happy with how the house turned out.

Well, down right overjoyed would have been a much more appropriate opinion for how she really felt.

She and Lucy had found the birdhouse after a horrific storm, with winds so powerful that entire trees had uprooted and crashed against the forest floor. They had discovered it tightly wedged between a moss covered log and boulder, totally drenched and basically ruined. The old faded lilac paint on the roof and walls was peeling off and the floor had begun to rot from the rain. Robin droppings had been scattered along the floor, evidence of the house's previous owners; the smell had been so atrocious it made Levy's eyes start to water by just the mere thought of it. But they still saw some great potential in the old birdhouse.

Natsu and Gray had been an immense help during the followings weeks, though they had barely even began their first day of work when the two decided to have a contest on who could finish their part of the house faster, all while calling each other names that Levy didn't care to repeat; she had decided long ago that boys like them were strange in that way.

Natsu would tilt the house on its side and use his fire to burn away the worst of the rot from the wood, he then would find large wood chips that had somehow escaped the rain to replace the floor. While Gray found them large sticks which he would file down with his ice until all that was left of the bumpy wood was smooth planks for the roof. They'd even helped them repaint the entire place by using the soft ends of dandelion seeds for brushes and made paint from forget-me-nots and lilies. Levy thought that the soft white walls and baby blue roof gave it at exceptionally homey feel, and it was definitely worth getting her hands stained from making the paint by putting the petals in water and pressing down on them until the colorful liquid leaked out.

Natsu had even gone as far as to burn in a window and make them clay windowboxes; which Levy quickly filled with baby's breath and hung up.

Lucy and she had spent nearly a week decorating it on the inside, which had been her favorite part. They had fastened chairs out of twigs and "borrowed" a fake log table that had belonged to a child living in a farm at the end of Magnolia. They had also taken a small wooden cupboard that they had stocked with sweet cakes and hollowed acorn shells filled to the brim with milk.

Not to mention the gorgeous flower beds that Lucy had made. An arrangement of petals made up the quilts, ranging from daisies to petunias, all stitched together by Lucy's careful hand with a pine needle and a spool of spiderweb, laid over a mattress of fluffy cotton and soft willow leaves folded over each other into pillows.

Though Levy's favorite part of the small home was her reading nook she had personally furnished. Nestled in the corner, right next to a cozy toadstool, was a small oak shelf overflowing with books. Most were old stories of the adventures that had been unraveled right in Magnolia, but she had collected several others from neighboring forests. Including some incredibly detailed and complex books on ancient languages that have all been but erased from the memory of any fairy.

She had just finished squeezing the last one in when the whole house gave a violent lurch. She stumbled forward and wrapped her pale arms around the toadstool, several books fell from the shelf and scattered themselves along the ground. What was happening outside?

She flew forward and towards the door, which had been carved out to be three times bigger than it's original size by a few of Laki's woodpeckers, and nearly stepped on Natsu's hand when she landed in the doorway.

Wait.

 _ **Since when did they leave the ground?!**_

"Heya Lev'!" Natsu released one hand to offer her a salute before wincing and grabbing back onto the house. "We're moving the house for ya." His wings were pumping themselves powerfully behind him, tiny embers scattered with every stroke of his large auburn wings, which always reminded Levy of a burning inferno. Sweat was streaming down his forehead from the effort, and a few strands of pink hair were clinging to his skin.

"Oh," she blinked and smiled, leaning down to get closer to her old friend. "That's so very kind of you, Nats-"

"IDIOT, DON'T LET GO OF THE HOUSE! I'M GONNA BREAK MY BACK ON THIS!"

Levy turned her head towards the voice and could just make out some of Gray's raven spiky hair and icy crystallized wings on the other side of the house. Judging from the strain in his voice he was probably doing the majority of the lifting.

"Oh really?" Natsu feigned a surprised look, widening his eyes and raising his eyebrows towards the hair that had attached itself to his forehead, before completely letting go of the house altogether; resulting in the crash of furniture and earning a loud shriek from both Gray and Levy, the latter of which had to grab onto the door frame to avoid being thrown against the side of the house. Natsu immediately grabbed it again and Levy could tell by the trembling of his shoulders, and incredibly twisted grin, that he was trying not to burst out laughing.

"That wasn't funny, Natsu!" Lucy's extremely aggravated voice rose up at them from the ground. "Me and Levy just finished decorating in there!"

Levy steadied herself and buzzed down towards Lucy, who had made herself very comfortable on a mushroom that had sprouted out of an old pine stump, and settled down beside her. "Do you know where we should hang it?"

Lucy smiled and her pink wings, which were shaped almost exactly like that of a Giant Swallowtail, started to flap excitedly. "I thought we could hang it over near Erza and Mira's home and that way you'll be closer to your work as well." Her hair had been beautifully styled into a braid that hung over one shoulder. She ran a hand through it and smoothed out her peony dress. "Although I'm sure there's no place we could possibly choose to live that would be half as fun as living with Cana."

Levy couldn't resist the smile that was tugging at her lips. She and Lucy and been talking about getting their own home for months, especially after Bickslow had accidently dropped a beehive on their old one that they had shared with Wendy and Lisanna. Lisanna had moved in with Mira and Wendy now lived with her old friend Carla, leaving Levy and Lucy all on their lonesome.

Thankfully, Cana had been glad to offer them a permanent room at her tavern. Levy was grateful for the hospitality, but she wouldn't miss the staggeringly overpowering stench of nectar that Cana never seemed to run out of.

"Hey, Cana!" Lucy cried out, waving over towards a patch of larkspur, where a full-figured fairy was nursing one of the flowers to her her mouth, drowning away all sorrows.

Speak of the devil.

Cana paused her drinking to grin over at them and waved them over. "Well if it ain't a couple of my favorite ladies, any of ya feel like tryin' to outdo me?" her free hand rested itself on one of her wide hips while the other continued to fiddle with the petals of the pretty flower. Her long tresses were tied back by a thin strand of a grape vine; a plant that Levy thought suited the beautiful fairy perfectly because of her passion for the vines fruit and all thing that had a trace of nectar.

Levy smiled and put up a submissive hand. "Nah, we would probably just slow you down, besides we need to tell the boys where to put our new home." Cana glanced behind her, where the two fairies were bickering about who was holding it wrong or something of the like.

She smirked when Gray threatened to freeze Natsu's to the back of a hawk when it was preparing to dive for a mouse, relying on the hopeless case of motion sickness Natsu suffered from.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, which she then wiped on her ivy dress, and grinned. "I'm gonna miss you two, make sure you come by all the time ya hear?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Cana! I told you stop hogging all of the nectar! My bees actually need that stuff, besides you've been drinking it since this morning!" Bickslow was straddled on one of his bees, arms crossed and even with his hemet, Levy could sense the stern glare he was focusing on Cana. More bees hovered around him, though none of them daring to get in between the fairy and her beloved nectar.

" _We need it, we need it."_ Hummed his bees.

Cana returned the glare and shook her fist at him. "And I told you the next time you lecture me 'bout my drinkin' I'd tell Elfman that you've been mooning over Lisanna for the past season! I wonder how he'll take it when he finds out that you convinced her to sneak out last week so you could take her on a bird ride outside of Magnolia, you know, the place where Elfman told her to never go at night without him or Mira!"

"S-shut up!" he countered, Levy could only imagine the dark shade of red his ears were most likely turning, or the sweat that was probably pouring down his forehead, though she could never tell from his old helmet that always shielded his face. She bit down on her bottom lip, it was all she could do to keep from laughing at his obvious embarrassment. She'd known about Bickslow's little crush on Lisanna for a while now. The way he sat up straighter whenever she was around, or how he suddenly became a total gentlemen when he interacted with her, instead of his normal wisecracking self.

Levy grinned and looped her arm around Lucy's, tugging gently. "Come on, we need to make sure the guys haven't dropped the house yet."

Lucy nodded and waved a farewell to Cana, who was getting into an intense stare down with Bickslow.

The day was worthy of being described as 'perfect'. With the sun shining as warmly as it was on Levy's face, she was positive even a blind fairy could tell it was a beautiful day. As of yesterday the magnolia and cherry blossom trees had come into full bloom, and with the gorgeous cherry blooms casting a soft shade of pink against the magnolia's pure white petals, it was like the whole forest was blushing at the clear blue sky. Yes, spring had officially arrived in Magnolia.

Floating along the ground, Lucy and Levy soon found themselves in the middle of Magnolia's town square, where hundreds of fairies were going along their days. Many of them were venders who had set up shop among the many toadstools and rocks that surrounded the bare patch of earth that had become the town's center. Selling everything from honey cakes that made Levy's mouth water, to gorgeous flower dresses that Levy would give anything to have, except her precious book collection. Several carts were scattered amongst the crowd, drawn by mice and guided by fairies who rode on top of the carts, which had been filled with precious stones mined from Mt. Hakobe by dwarves. And overhead, birdhouses hung from every branch, all swaying gently in the breeze.

At the very center stood a grand statue of the town's savior, Mavis Vermillion. She stood on an old stone pedestal,which had been covered in moss over the decades, her hand extended out with a finger pointing forward and a determined expression carved into her gentle, childlike features. Her giant wings folded out behind her.

Her wings.

They were _perfect._

They were much larger than any fairies, trailing down to her feet and reaching out far behind her. Shaped similar to that of an angel, but instead of feathers overlapping each other, it was waves of light. Somehow, to Levy's complete amazement, the stone had captured the wings incredibly. Individual layers woven together as if it were cloth not stone; giving off the illusion similar to the separate colors of a gorgeous sunset. The stone started out rather dark at her shoulders, and started to gradually get lighter until the tips were almost pure white.

The ponds that lay at her feet were teeming with minnows and koi. The rocks surrounding it were covered in pale green moss and decorated with dewdrops, and bright daffodils and dandelions sprouted out of every available patch of grass.

Mavis' story had always fascinated Levy. She had first heard it when she was very young from her great- uncle. He told her how Magnolia had been taken over by an evil goblin clan, that had starved the fairies and forced them into slavery. To guarantee that no fairy escaped they sliced their wings off and sent nightly patrols out since they couldn't leave the forest floor. Mavis had been hunting for an old stone that had been stolen from her own home, Tenroujima. When she discovered the cruelty the fairies were forced to face she unleashed an ancient spell that cleansed the entire forest; killing the goblins and, somehow, restoring every fairies' wings. With wings restored, the fairies were freed from the cruelty of the goblins and named Mavis their savior.

They stood there and admired the statue for just a little longer, neither wanting to peel their eyes away. It was only the thought of Natsu and Gray abandoning the house to start a brawl with each other that pulled them away. They flew over towards one of the cherry blossom trees and stared up to see Natsu and Gray waving down at them. They had hooked the top of the birdhouse onto a branch just a little ways from where Erza's deep crimson and Mira's peach birdhouses were hanging; they both were perched on the roof, eyes shut tight and grinning like idiots.

"We heard you two say you wanted the house over here. Um, it was here right?" Natsu scratched his head and glanced up to make sure it was near Erza and Mira's.

"I don't care if it's the right place, I'm never lifting a birdhouse as long as there's a breath in my lungs." Gray answered, leaning his chin into his palm.

"This is so perfect, guys, thank you!" Lucy squealed and fluttered up to the boys, wrapping her arms around their necks and pulling them into a bear hug. "Oh yeah, Levy!" she turned her head to yell down towards her friend. "Jet came by earlier! He said that he was sorry to interrupt the house preparations, but he and Droy were having a hard time with the deliveries and was wondering if you could come in!"

Levy gasped, how could she have forgotten about them! She should've known that they would need help this time of year. Both Jet and Droy were completely capable of running things on their own once in a while, but in the spring even all three of them were completely overwhelmed with the amount of packages that were sent in. Last year they'd been about two months behind all season, she'd had to call in all of her friends before they could finally catch up.

She flew up to the house and straight through the door. She took a brief moment to survey the disaster turnout of Natsu's antics: a flipped over table and bookcase, along with the entire cupboard emptying itself and milk getting everywhere milk can possibly get. She would let Lucy handle it, she decided, snatching her satchel off of her knocked over chair and taking off.

As she sped through the trees she glanced back just in time to see Lucy enter the house, and there probably wasn't a banshee alive who could pull off a scream such as one that Lucy had released.

 _ **"NATSU!"**_

* * *

First chapter is done! I didn't really describe all of the character's as well as I wanted to so here's a little more detail on what they look like. Basically all characters dress in leaves of flowers, or maybe fur; like I'd imagine Natsu wearing japanese striped-bark maple leaves, or Gray in some kind of gray rodent fur pants and no shirt. Levy would wear short dresses of light green leaves, oh and her wings are long and thin, and clear in color. I kind of imagine olive leaves for Bickslow, not very foresty I know but whenever I thought about his image it was always that. I really had a lot of trouble with his helmet because fairy's can't be around iron so I decided it would be a plastic toy he stole because fairy's supposedly steal things they like from children. Wow I blabbed, anyways **please review** _ **!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter time! Anyways I figured I'd do a little more work on this one since I've been focusing on my other series so much. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm aiming to make this series have longer chapters than the other one since I don't update this one as much. Have to say, this was almost a welcome break, I've got so many ideas for my other series but I'm stuck on how to incorporate those ideas and it's like having a really bad case of writer's block. Anyways, if you enjoyed please leave a review and tell me what your favorite part was!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _I am not worthy of claiming that I own Fairy Tail of any of it's beautiful characters, Hiro Mashima holds that great honor._

Levy could still remember the day, no matter how many years ago it was, when they'd decided on their shop.

When she, Jet, and Droy had been little faes they would fly all around Magnolia as fast as their once tiny wings could take them. Looking at the small shops and stands and admiring the merchandise until the shop owners would have to shoo them away when they didn't purchase anything. Once and a while they would even play a game where they would collect flowers and "sell" them to each other using pebbles as currency in place of the tiny jewels that served as legitimate payment.

They would always dream about their own shops and would spend most of the time imagining what they would sell and how they would become rich off of their income. The problem was none of them could figure out what it was they were going to become rich off of. Droy wanted to sell different kinds of seeds but Jet hated the idea and stated that he wanted do more than sit and watch weeds shoot out of dirt. Besides the only fairies who bought seeds on a regular basis were gardening fairies and most of them lived in a small village of humans far outside of Magnolia's forest. And Levy only wanted to run a bookstore. The thought of having hundreds of books surrounding her every day was enough to make her young mind float like the paper boats the human children sometimes sailed along the rivers.

When Levy and Jet had been on their way home after a long day of painful brainstorming, an elderly woman standing outside of her home, who Jet later explained to be a friend of his mother, had called the pair over. She was a frail looking old fairy, with silver wings that were beginning to dull and wrinkle with age. And her pure white hair was adorned with a wreath of forget-me-nots. She explained in a quiet kind voice that she had a gift she had to deliver to her son but he lived in an abandoned beavers den that rested on the shore of a lake on the other side of Magnolia, and her wings were too frail to make the journey. Jet had immediately agreed and Levy soon followed. She gestured towards a large parcel leaning against the side of the house and carefully wrapped in oak leaves. Jet nearly keeled over from the weight when he tried to pick it up, but finally managed to do so after the third attempt. She then handed a letter to Levy to deliver with the package.

Before they left the old woman said if they could manage to deliver the present and return before the sun had set, she would give them a small amount of jewel as payment. To children that age any amount of money only held one possibility: candy. And with that in mind, the two sped off so fast they left a cloud of dust in their wake and blew the flower wreath right off the woman's head.

Levy was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with Jet, but with the parcel's heavy weight slowing him down a considerable amount, she managed to keep up with his powerful dragonfly-like wings. They weaved between trees and flowers, laughing as they imagined the taste of sweet, hardened honey on their tongues. Levy considered asking Jet if they should go back and get Droy, after all, he shouldn't miss out on this. But she thought better of it, seeing as the sun was getting closer to the horizon. It was too bad; he was missing out on such a fun time. She silently decided as soon they were paid she would go find Droy and they would all enjoy the candy together.

The other side of Magnolia had been farther than their young minds had assumed, and the sun was just starting to greet the horizon, casting gorgeous vibrant shades of pink and yellow far across the sky when they finally found the old beaver's den. Normally such a sight would have Levy dazing off and unashamedly drooling from the mouth without a care as to who was watching, but Levy couldn't think about pretty sunsets! There was candy at stake! She and Jet practically shoved the deliveries into the surprised man's arms before taking off once again, squealing at each other to go faster, although none of encouragement did anything to actually _make_ them go faster. The sun was just about to disappear when they found they old woman, who smiled and handed them a small purse filled with glistening jewels, enough for several bags of candy!

They'd managed to push aside their maddening craving and wait until the morning before getting Droy, who was slightly angry that they'd left without him but after seeing the purse made lumpy with the money they'd been paid in Jet's hands immediately forgave them and practically shoved them out his door. They dined on enough candy to make them sick, gobbling up every piece until their stomachs moaned in pain and there eyes glazed over, creating a glassy illusion similar to the transparent sweet.

They'd made a promise with each other that day. That if there ever actually came a time, when they would finally be able to afford it, they would buy shop their own shop made just for delivering.

* * *

Levy smiled at the old memory, it had been a long time ago but there wasn't a day that went by after that where they didn't talk about buying that shop, and on Levy's fifteenth birthday they'd finally saved up enough by doing odd jobs like cleaning out bird nests that had been long abandoned and helping out in other shops by sweeping and organizing products.

She could see it now, a little ways off in the distance, an old log that had been meant for a human's fire place, now blanketed over with thick green moss. She lowered herself down to step daintily on one of the perfectly flat stones that were scattered around it, and hoisted her satchel higher onto her shoulder. _Shadowgear Deliveries_ was painted in bright, bold yellow letters over the thick wood chip they'd hung over the door. Even from the outside, she could hear Droy's panicked murmuring before she slipped through the door.

The large fairy was huddled in the corner of the store, kept bright by the windows carved into the side, sitting at an old, rickety desk and scribbling furiously into a incredibly thick book they had acquired so they could keep record on all of their deliveries made over the years. His tiny wings fluttered furiously against his broad back as he worked, and she might have laughed at the sight if he didn't look so downright exhausted.

Levy immediately noticed the giant pile of packages and letters that encircled the entire area around the desk, practically trapping Droy inside. More packages were stacked on the other side, reaching as high as the ceiling with their numbers. All in wrappings that ranged from the plain leaves found around Magnolia, to the elegant and priceless silks found only in the elven city of Crocus. Levy gulped nervously at the thought of the amount of work it could take before they could come close to delivering half of these.

Droy immediately looked up at the tiny noise, and Levy was instantaneous joy practically radiate off his face in waves of happiness and relief.

"Thank Mavis!" he cried. "I was starting to worry that you couldn't come! I've had Jet doing runs since dawn. I know we get busy in spring and all that, but this is incredible. We've even gotten deliveries from those foreigners at Tenroujima this time round!" he shot her what could have passed for a grin, but with the droopiness of his eyes from lack of sleep caused it to lose most of its affect on her.

"It's nice to see that we're getting more popular, but still, I don't think we can last for much longer if we don't catch a break." He murmured and stretched his arms over his head as he leaned back in the chair so it propped against the wall, creaking dangerously under his weight.

"So, what've you got for me?" she asked, leaning over the giant book. Each address looked like it had been written by a blind bird, or an exhausted and rushed fairy who'd been deprived of sleep one too many nights. She could hardly make out any of the words, which were smudged by careless fingers.

Droy opened one eye and examined the pages. "Well, Jet's got the west side of Magnolia, there's a lot of deliveries for the east side but since he's got the cart there's no way you could manage that," he held his chin in his fingers. "The north side only has five though, and those are small enough for you to carry in one trip; just some letters and a package for His Majesty from Crocus." He waved his hand over at a much smaller pile, consisting of the listed letters and package.

Levy felt her heart flutter in her chest. She hadn't seen her great-uncle in such a long time, perhaps the very end of last fall. She could remember the scarlet ivy clinging to the stone walls of the palace and the cool breeze rushing through their hair as they laughed and talked. She hadn't known her real father and grandfather for long so the uncle had almost filled their places in her heart. He was her great-uncle, grandfather, father, and friend all wrapped up in a tiny, and slightly lecherous on some occasions, package.

Droy noticed the smile on her face and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Don't be too long, I know you want to visit him but it's important we get this done. I'd like to get more than two hours of sleep tonight."

Levy nodded and moved to gather up the letters before carefully placing them inside the satchel. She lifted the package, it was exceptionally light, and wrapped in beautiful evergreen silk. She revelled in the feeling of the soft fabric on her fingers before she gently settled it inside. She walked over to Droy once more, who held up a list with addresses hastily scribbled onto it.

She gently took the list and prepared to fly off, waving a final goodbye over her shoulder, which Droy returned, but it looked much more like a shooing motion as he went back to work.

* * *

Levy was ready to pass out after she handed the final letter to the fae woman, who exchanged it for a handful of jewels that Levy quickly added to her satchel, said a quick thank you and floated away.

The sound of the paid jewels from the other customers clinked annoyingly in her satchel as she fluttered along. She rubbed her eyes as she stared blurrily at the sky overhead, it was going to be dark if she didn't hurry. Her wings were incredibly tired though, and the thought of flying fast seemed impossible when she could barely keep herself off the ground. She groaned as she made her way down the path towards the castle, she knew it would only take a few minutes to get there but it still seemed so far away. She shuddered at the thought of how horribly sore her wings would be in the morning.

She considered asking the boys if they should spend some of their savings on delivery birds so they could pick up the pace without exhausting themselves everyday, but ended up dismissing the idea. They wouldn't have the time to train the birds to listen to them and birds who had been previously trained were way out of their budget.

The north side of Magnolia was one of the wealthiest areas of the small kingdom; since it was so close to the palace. Levy didn't come here often unless it was to pay her uncle a visit or for work reasons. It was nothing like the hustle and bustle of the town square, with its scenery always bright and colorful, the bell-like laughter of fairies floating through the aromatic breeze. Here, only a few fairies ever occupied the lonely dirt path. The air only filled with the superior tones the fairies here carried. She knew that the rest of them were all inside their beautiful homes that had been carved into the trees, enjoying tea and honey cakes while the women knit with spider's web.

She glanced down at the several wealthy fairies who occupied the streets, the grandiloquent gentlemen rubbing their pudgy hands together as they engrossed themselves in conversation amongst their peers, occasionally releasing a deep, throaty chuckle when they heard something that amused them. And the ladies flounced about in their excessively large dresses with especially large and excessive skirts, made up of more flower petals than she could hope to count. Some were so bright and overly ornate she thought she'd permanently blind herself if she stared at them for too long a time.

She smiled and glanced down at her dress: a short, plain thing that barely reached halfway down her pale thighs and made up of light green leaves she had stitched together. It was strange to think she could have lived a life among those kinds of fairies. She had been offered that kind of lifestyle by her uncle on several occasions, but she was glad she'd politely declined each offer. She was happy where she was; living with Lucy and being close to her friends. The bond they shared was more precious than any fancy flower dress. After all, come autumn and those dresses would be wilted, and friendship was a year round thing.

The trees were beginning to dwindle, and Levy knew she was getting closer. Soon she came upon a large meadow that stood the near the edge of Magnolia. Long and gentle hills dotted with willow trees rolled over the green landscape.

On the largest of the hills stood a grand palace; beautifully carved and constructed by the most talented dwarfs out of polished stone and marble that dazzled like diamonds in the sun's light. It's tallest towers reached high into the heavens and Levy could feel her small wings starting to quiver as they beat against her back in exhilaration at just the thought of being so high. The hill it rested on sloped down to a shallow river that snaked along the mounds, glistening with a fantastic brilliance.

Its construction had begun only days after the rescue of Magnolia's fairies. It had once stood as a towering, sinister dark lair for the goblins that would strike fear into even the bravest fae's heart, but after the cleansing that Mavis delivered it had been rebuilt over a period of twenty years to stand as a glorious monument that stood for the freedom of fairies and the light that urged them to hold onto that freedom.

She waved to the guards as she passed through the main gate, they waved back with a fondness that was probably not appropriate to use when they held such a serious occupation, but Levy was the exception. After all, some of them had known her since she was a tiny fae.

A row of tall marble pillars stood out in the great hall, thick slabs of stone at the base of the pillars were chiseled with the emblem that each royal family member carried on the tips of their tails. No, she shouldn't say that. After all, she was a member of the royal family and she hadn't been born with a tail, neither had her grandfather; it was only the ruler and heirs to the throne who had tails with the strange mark. Which meant her great-uncle Makarov, second cousin Laxus, and even Ivan had once carried it before his exile.

That thought pained her heart a little bit. She didn't have many fond memories with Ivan included in them; he was always such a distant man, who clearly thought himself above all others, the exact opposite of Makarov. She had been very young when he was exiled by his own father; charged with high treason for attempted assassination of the king, not to mention recklessly endangering the lives of countless fairies in his failed coup. He had even gotten Laxus wrapped into the plot, manipulating his mind into going against the man who had played the largest role in raising him. The result was not only banishment but the removal of his tail so he was no longer an heir to Makarov's throne.

His anger and hatred increased towards his grandfather tenfold when his father had been exiled, to the point where he nearly attempted a coup of his own, however that had been years ago, and Laxus had grown into a man that made Makarov swell with pride.

She sighed inwardly as she delicately removed the soft package and held it out in front of her. It was a rectangular shape, and slightly on the heavy side; like a thick book. What if it was a book?! She shook it slightly; trying to pick up any familiar sounds.

"Ah, Miss Levy, always a pleasure to see you here, my dear." A familiar honeyed voice edged with venom sent shivers down Levy's wings.

She spun around, "Jose, it's nice to see you." She spoke with all the politeness she could muster. The troll stood a short ways behind her, partially concealing himself in the shadow of a pillar.

'Nice' wasn't really the term she wished she could use when interacting with him; trolls in general made her uneasy, hiding in the shadows, speaking with tones as cold as ice. Jose in particular gave her this feeling; he spoke sickeningly sweet words that sugarcoated a sinister core. She got along wonderfully with all of the other servants, right down to the young boy who took care of the king's birds, but the dungeon warden in front of her had always made her feel so uncomfortable.

"Um, I'm sorry but I'm just trying to find my uncle. Do you know where I could find him?" She painted a fake smile across her face.

"Hmm," Jose stroked his chin with long, bony fingers, making Levy slightly shudder. "His Majesty is in his study if I'm correct. Why? Is there something the matter?"

"Oh! No, of course not." She held out the package, which she'd unconsciously hidden behind her back. "I've just got some things to give him, and then I've got to get back to work! Busiest time of year! Goodbye!" She spun around and sped off as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the gooseflesh that wouldn't leave her arms.

It would be easy for any stranger to get lost in the castle's seemingly endless hallways, but Levy knew right where to go. Fly down the left hallway, take a sharp turn at the first right, open the door to the courtyard, go through the door closest to the violet azaleas, fly down to the end of the hallway, and go into the room next to the portrait of Yury Dreyar and Mavis Vermillion.

"Uncle Makarov! Are you in here?" she called, entering the study. She immediately spotted her vertically challenged uncle at a table near the corner, standing on a stool so he could examine some old documents next to his much larger grandson. His golden wings beat excitedly against the oak leaves he wore.

"Levy, come here, let me take a look at you!" he lept off of the table to flutter over to her. She accepted the warm embrace around her middle before holding out the package.

"Uncle, it's wonderful to see you! I have something for yo-"

"Oh! Never mind that!" her uncle grabbed one of her wrists, pulling her towards the table. "Come, my girl, see if you can talk some sense into this foolish boy!" She slipped the item back into her satchel as he dragged her over to the table. She grinned sheepishly at her cousin, who lifted his hand in greeting.

She stared down at the papers, noting that they mainly consisted of information on the current Crocus goods that were up for trade.

"Now, my dear, as you can see there's been an increased production of silks in Crocus; more than they know what to do with! If we can manage to get a steady trade going we'll have more than enough for my plans!"

"I'm telling you, old man, it's a complete waste of Magnolia's resources." Laxus grumbled, holding the bridge of his nose.

"Nonsense! This is the perfect idea! I can think of no better use for our goods!"

"Um," Levy piped up. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Laxus groaned, turning towards her fully. "This old geezer wants to silk to make dresses for every fae woman in Magnolia."

"Of course not," Makarov interjected, a perverted smile overtaking his face. "Only the lovely young ladies!"

Levy groaned inwardly, her eyes finding the floor; she'd learned at a young age her uncle had a lecherous side, but that never made it any less awkward when he behaved that way. She loved her uncle more than anything but she wished he could get that perverted part he kept inside of him. She looked back up towards her family, who'd gotten into a thoroughly detailed debate about the lengths of the skirts.

"Look, I really hate to interrupt, but," she pulled out the package, "I need to get back to work, but this is for you."

He accepted the gift happily with a smile. "Thank you, my dear, it's nice to see being so responsible."

"Now, pay me."

"What!"

"You heard me," she pouted. "I've been carrying that thing for hours and I'm expecting some jewels for it." She stated, tapping her foot.

"Y-You can't be serious," her uncle sputtered. "You'd charge your own family!"

"Yes."

"I've got it, Levy." Laxus made his way over to a desk in the center of the room, pulling a sack out of one of the drawers. He tossed it up, testing its weight. "Is this enough?" he asked her. He nodded and he tossed it to her.

"Okay then, I've got to go but I'll stopped by later!" she waved happily to them as she pumped her wings and flew through the door.

She saw several servants on her way out, and she greeted them all happily as she made her way back to the front gates. She got out just in time to see the sunset. The gorgeous yellow orb was turning a breathtaking shade of fiery orange; casting vibrant shades of violet across the sky like a paintbrush. She inhaled the sweet air as wind blew the cerulean locks away from her eyes. Soon, the sun would disappear over the horizon, casting the whole forest into sleep before the new day akoke them. The creamy white stars would appear, forming pictures and telling stories that dated back longer than any fairy could remember.

She began to drift towards home, the dimming sky and fatigue of flying around for hours making her impossibly tired. She didn't think she'd even be able to read that night she was so tired, and that was truly saying something.

* * *

It was raining the next day; large, fat drops that could knock a fae to the ground it she wasn't careful. Levy usually didn't like gloomy days such as this; where the sky became gray and sad, but she wouldn't complain now. She'd woken up with a horrible soreness in her wings and was determined to rest them all day so she didn't they were better by tomorrow.

She pulled the petals of the quilt up to her chin, whining when it uncovered her trembling feet. It was impossible to stay warm on days like this. It was on days like this she wished she was around Natsu; who was never anything but warm and toasty.

A rapid knock on the door had her groaning inwardly. Who could that be?

She slumped out of her bed and made her ways towards the door, grasping the handle and opening it slightly, as to not let any rain in. The person standing there was one of the last people she could have ever expected at her door: _Jose_.

"Jose," she straightened up immediately; ignoring the new shivers that had been born on her back that were definitely _not_ from the cold.

"Is there something I can help you with."

"I'm afraid not, my dear." He removed his hat and clasped it to his chest sorrowfully.

"You see, the king is dead."


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.** **As my personal Christmas gift to all of you, I have updated every single one of my stories today. I hope this makes up for my hectic schedule of updates. I know it's not actually on the correct date like I wanted but I had such a busy day with relatives that I couldn't wrap everything up and so maybe you can consider this as a late gift. Things are getting busy and I have exams after winter break (sigh). But I hope you enjoy all of my stories and if you're strictly reading only one of them, why not open up your surroundings and check them out if your interested. If not that's totally fine, I'm thrilled I'm already getting so much support but I always love hearing more. I wish you all happiness and jolliness and hope you enjoy the stories. And, as always, please review!**

 **Also for this particular story it's a quicker update this time ya'll! I felt badly because the last chapter took way too long for me to add to it. Not to mention I changed the summary for the story because I really didn't know how to describe it when I posted the first chapter but now I know how to.I'm really excited about this series; to be honest it started off as just something I could do when I wasn't busy with the other series but now it's becoming so much fun to write. It's great to see so much support from you guys. I'm pretty self-conscious about my writing and always feel like I need to do better even if people say it's good. I kinda think it's a good morale to live by: if someone says it good, make it great. If someone says it's great, make it spectacular. If you have questions, comments, or ways on making the story better, than please leave a review. I love hearing what you guys have to say and would love to hear more of your voices!**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **I am not worthy of claiming that I own Fairy Tail or any of its** _ **breathtakingly beautiful characters**_ **, Hiro Mashima has that great honor.**

* * *

"Dead?" she echoed, eyes wide with mute disbelief. She shook her head and glared back at him, eyes shining with incredulity "That's not possible," she hissed through her teeth, but despite all of her determination her voice broke at the end of the sentence.

Jose shook his head, hat still clasped in his gloved hand and held to his chest. "I'm afraid not, my dear, there's been a successful assassination on your uncle. He died this morning. We're searching for the murderer." His voice dripped with sympathy, but Levy could tell it was all halfhearted; he and her uncle had never gotten along, but Makarov had tolerated him because he usually spent his days in the musty gloominess of the dungeons. Even in the rain she could see Jose was slightly squinting his ashy eyes, uncomfortable in even the slightest amount of light.

Levy throat tightened painfully but she managed to rasp out the next words, fearing the answer like an insect feared a spider. "Is Laxus-"

Jose shook his head. "The boy died with his grandfather; they're both gone."

Levy felt the world tilt as her knees buckled; her hand searched frantically for the wooden door handle to keep herself from falling. "No," she choked out. "There's no way; this has to be a mistake." She desperately searched Jose's cold eyes, praying to everything good that this was somehow untrue, but found to her horror there was nothing deceptive in his gaze.

"I'm truly sorry, dear," his bony hand reached out to stroke her the pale skin on her arm which was now covered in gooseflesh, but she shrank away before it could brush against her skin.

"I-I need some time to think if you don't mind, Jose." Her voice barely exceeding that of a whisper; her heart felt as if someone had taken it in their hand and squeezed it until her chest was on the brink of exploding. "Please."

"Of course, my dear." Jose slightly bowed to her before leaving. He jumped off the edge of the birdhouse and landed quietly on the soft forest floor. She had almost forgotten that he had no wings of his own.

Levy backed into the house, closed the door and pressed her back against it; sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. She slid to the floor and buried her face in between her knees, curling into herself. They couldn't be gone. There was no way…..

Old memories flooded her mind: her uncle showing her how to fly even when she was afraid of falling, Laxus' strong hands lifting her up onto his shoulders, laughing at Makarov's stories with her friends as he spun tales of fairy princesses and dragons into their minds.

With each flashback came a wave of uncontrollably powerful sobs, shaking her entire body until she thought she would crack open. It made no sense, her uncle was one of the most beloved fairy kings; who would ever want to kill him? What could possibly be gained by any of this? A dark, tall figure appeared in her mind. Wings black as night growing from his shoulders like the wings of a raven. A rugged, black beard outlining a cruel sneer. Cold eyes piercing into her heart.

Ivan Dreyar.

She shook her head at the thought. Ivan was long gone. The last she'd heard of him he had retreated to a rocky wasteland far away from Magnolia.

She choked back a sob at her next thought: who was going to tell Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen?

The four of them had knit a bond so tight it rivaled that of a family's; they were rarely not seen together, the other day being the only exception that she could think of. Everyone else would be beyond heartbroken as well. Sure, they were her relatives, but Levy knew that all of her friends and many others looked to her uncle as far more than just a king; he was their friend, their family.

She didn't even hear Lucy open the door when she came back from Cana's. She had managed to move herself into a chair and her head rested on the table while her arms covered it. She had managed to stop the majority of her sobbing, but once in awhile one tore itself from her throat and left her chest throbbing painfully.

"Levy?" her friend was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong? Tell me what happened!" Lucy took her by the shoulders to help her sit up. Levy tried to answer, but only another sob escaped before she collapsed into her arms.

"They're gone. Both of them are gone," she finally managed to whisper into her Lucy's hair. Fresh tears spilled onto her cheeks and slid down to her chin before falling like raindrops to the forest floor.

"Gone? Who's gone?" Levy couldn't have said the words even if she had wanted to. Instead she cried into her shoulder while Lucy's arms tightened around her in an attempt to comfort her.

It felt like hours of weeping and soothing words had passed before Levy had managed to explain to Lucy what Jose had told her. Lucy's response had been much like her own: complete shock, hopeful denial, and followed by another onslaught of tears as the two of them went back to holding each other.

* * *

It rained the next day, but no fairy stayed shut away inside of their homes. Instead they all gathered outside of Mavis's statue; Levy among them. Her wings, shielded by a thick cloak of leaves she had pulled over her shoulders, trembled in the cold but she kept both of her feet planted firmly on the ground. The magnolia and cherry blossoms shed their petals in the wind and the drifted silently to the ground. It felt as if even the trees were mourning the loss of their prince and king.

She stood at the very front of the crowd just outside the caskets, a place reserved for family and dear friends of the lost ones. Her fingers intertwined with Evergreen's, who had cried for the first time Levy had ever witnessed several minutes after the funeral began. Her other hand hung limp at her side, trembling fingers clutching the stems of two pale blue blossoms. It was an ancient custom that was performed long before Magnolia was ever founded; those attending the funeral would bring a flower and lay it into the casket along with a silent message of anything that fairy wished to say before they had to bid them goodbye forever.

She hadn't been able to bring herself to look inside the caskets, which had been tightly woven out of light stips of bark. Baby's breath spilled out of the caskets and onto the ground. She knew laying on top of those flowers would be her two family members. Family members that she would never speak to or see again after today.

At the base of the statue the head guards and royal counsel resided, Jose among them. Their heads bowed respectively in silent mourning. At the very front was Makarov's regent, and the fairy who Levy knew would replace her uncle since he had no other heirs to claim his throne, Alexei. Levy knew very little about him, not even his face. He had been appointed several years after Ivan's exile, and he wore a golden mask and armor to cover up his face and body. Apparently, he had come in contact with iron at a very young age and it burned him so horribly it disfigured his face; so he wore a mask to protect it. She had only heard him speak a few times, but his voice always sounded like gravel was grating against his throat, and Levy had assumed it was because of his burns. He also he permanently wore a dark cloak of animal fur that covered his wings. Nevertheless, she had discovered he was very smart and seemed to have much knowledge when it came to running a kingdom, but there was something about the dark aura he emanated that made her more uneasy than Jose ever could. Her uncle may have forgiven him in the end, but Levy had never forgotten the few incidents where Alexie had taken charge without Makarov's authority.

A tight squeeze from Evergreen signaled it was time for the ceremony to start. Being the last living relative of the royal family meant Levy would take her turn first; followed by Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, and so on until every fairy had delivered a flower. Trying desperately not to shake, she began to make her way towards the caskets. She bit down on her lip and tried to halt her tears as she peered inside. It was possible to mistake her family members for asleep inside their beds of white flowers; there eyes were shut and it almost looked like they were breathing. Her great-uncle, who had raised her for most of her life, was clothed in fine dark green Crocus silks and his small golden wings were spread out underneath him. His tail was buried somewhere underneath the flowers and Levy felt her heart ache a little more; she had wanted to look at it one more time, have a little reminder of him. His smile and voice filled her heart like tears in her eyes as she placed the first blossom by his neck, 'I love you,' was her final thought before she moved onto the next casket. Laxus was laid out like his grandfather, dressed in deep purple instead of green. He looked strangely younger like this, his handsome face looked so at peace and parts of his hair clung to his forehead in the rain. His tail, too, was buried. Levy placed the flower in the same position as she did her uncle's. 'I love you,' she thought before hurrying back down into Evergreen's arms as more tears overtook her.

The funeral continued in that manner until flowers flooded out of the caskets and decorated the Mavis's pedestal. After Alexie himself had delivered the last flowers he signaled with his hands to have the ceremony completed. Two pairs of guards came forward and each took a side of both caskets, lifting them up above the fairies' heads to be carried away for burial. Usually, fairies would follow to witness this but Alexie motioned for all the fairies to remain. Levy bit her lip as she watched them leave, trails flowers from the ceremony raining down in their midst.

"We are all deeply saddened on his day of mourning," he began, his hoarse voice carrying out through the crowds of fae. "And it is of utmost importance that we take action against the cowards who have taken our leaders from us. I have had guards block all entrances and exits to Magnolia so the assassinators may very well still be among us. That is why it is mandatory that all fae be inside their homes at dark while my head guards and I conduct our investigation."

'So he's already invoking a curfew,' she thought bitterly.

Levy took a moment to survey the 'head guards' which he had mentioned; all six stood behind him silence, eyes glazed over as they regarded the crowd cooly. They were spriggans. She could tell by the sickly paleness of their skin and darkness of their eyes, not to mention their leathery looking black wings were a complete giveaway. They were all male, except for one female who wore her scarlet hair in two braids that looped around her midsection. Her eyes passed from her, to the the scrawny man with black hair and lips to match, a light purple one who looked more troll than fairy, and a blue one with a strangely long nose and a hat that slightly resembled Jose's. Her eyes stopped at the last one. He was, well, definitely no spriggan. A muscular chest strained the dark leaves he wore as a vest and equally chiseled looking arms folded over them. His angular face made him undeniably handsome and hair blacker than the darkest night hung down to nearly his waist. The pale scars that decorated one of his bronzed arms and the piece of cloth he wore to keep his hair away from his eyes only added to his mysterious aura, and blood red eyes that seemed rather sharp compared to the glossiness of the other spriggans peered out from under the cloth. Huge, black wings almost dragged at his feet, resembling dark shadows as they slightly moved in the wind. If the circumstances were different Levy would've undeniably _swooned_ at the sight of this fairy, and even now she felt her cheeks slightly redden as he gazed at him. She didn't recognize him at all; she had a brief recollection of seeing the others with Alexie but he was completely unfamiliar. Perhaps he was new and she simply hadn't seen him yet?

His eyes met hers for the briefest of moments and Levy snapped her head in a different direction; handsome or not she wasn't going to be caught gawking at him during a funeral. Alexie's speech continued in a slow drawl that seemed to last for hours on end until he finally dismissed the fairies to their homes.

As she drifted home with Lucy at her side, Levy couldn't shake the feeling of blood red eyes staring at her own.

* * *

Several days had passed and it seemed that things were finally getting back to normal. There was no report on the assassination and Levy was starting to feel hope slip away like water through her fingers. It had been a slow day of delivering; the packages they received from other kingdoms still flooded in even if the ones the received from inside of Magnolia had almost come to a halt. It had been dark for what felt like a long time now and Levy had assumed she would get underpaid because of how long it had taken, but fairies still paid her the exact same as they would've any other day. It seemed no one was completely over Makarov's death yet.

Levy sighed as her wings slowly carried her home. They still felt sore despite the few days of rest she had given them and slowed her down considerably.

A brief gust of wind was the only warning she received before a scrawny, but incredibly strong, hand gripped her arm and fingers dug into her flesh.

Levy let out a cry of surprise as that same hand dragged her towards the owner so they could hiss into her ear and she immediately recognized the voice to be one of Alexie's spriggans.

"You're skipping curfew, little girl."


End file.
